The girl didn’t glance up but she was eating the muffin.
“Where is your ranch?” the mother asked.
“The Wild Cow. I hope you and the kids will come to visit. Maybe ride horses if that’d be okay with you. Here’s my number.” Carli grabbed a pen from her purse and jotted her phone number on a napkin.
“Thank you. That’s very kind. We know where the ranch is. We used to go there for Christmas cookies when the kids were little. I’ll call you.” She handed Carli a scrap of paper in return and said, “Here’s my name and number.”
“Great. Hope to see you out there.” Carli turned to Nathan. “Are you ready?”
Carli gathered her bag and followed Nathan to his truck. “I really miss working with kids. Did I ever mention I was part owner of a horse training business back in Georgia? I gave lessons and took kids to horse shows. I’d like to start a riding school here. What do you think?”
“I gotta say, you were really good with that girl. I kinda wanted to mind my own business.”
“Too many of us look the other way. It’s easy to do. I am drawn to that girl, Nate. I completely understand what’s going on in her head. Maybe I should start giving lessons again.”
With a kind smile, he said, “You’re right, of course. You just want to take on the world, don’t ya? I’ll help you with whatever program you want to start, but have you considered the liability of kids riding the ranch’s horses? There’s so much to consider. And thanks for having coffee with me, by the way.”
“The coffee was good, but I’m gonna need something a bit more substantial for lunch, cowboy. Like a hamburger. Aren’t you starving?”
He laughed. “Actually, I could eat. It’s been a long morning already. I thought you were some kind of health nut, like protein powders and vegetables I’ve never heard of. Stuff like that.”
“Not always. Today, give me some good Texas beef.”
Nathan’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it and then clicked it off.
“Answer that, if you need to,” Carli offered.
“It’s just Dad. Whatever it is can wait because I don’t want to go back.” With that he put his cell phone into the middle console of the pickup cab and closed the lid.
Nathan pulled into the Dixie Maid where they ordered greasy burgers and shared tater tots, hot and crispy.
Conversation during lunch was lighter, but still friendly. They drove back to the ranch in silence as Carli kept thinking about the troubled young girl. She wanted to do something to help that family, but was it too bold to butt into their business?
Just before Carli could open the door to step out of Nathan’s pickup truck at the Olsen headquarters, he put his hand on hers. She thought for a moment he might lean in and kiss her. He wore a deep frown etched on his face with a look of concern.
“What if you find him, then what?”
“You mean my father? Then nothing. I haven’t thought that far.”
“This is huge, Carli. You have to take it slow.”
“Yeah, I know. Thanks for the coffee and lunch, and for listening. It was a nice morning.”
“You never told me his name.”
“Miller. The family’s name is Miller, and the name on my birth certificate is Taylor.” She took a deep breath to still her heart. “My birth father’s name is Taylor Miller.”
Saying his name aloud caused a reaction. Was it nervousness? Scared anticipation? Eagerness? Fear of the unknown or sheer terror of opening this door into her past?
Never in a million years had she ever considered the possibility of knowing that name.
Chapter Four
At the back of her grandparents’ ranch house was a small room with a corner fireplace and two walls lined with bookshelves. The other walls were covered with faded photographs of people smiling and laughing at various horse events, shadow boxes holding tarnished silver buckles, and award plaques from various rodeos. The framed artwork featured several black and white penciled sketches with original signatures, some autographed “To Jean and Ward”. In this room Carli set up a home office.
She moved a small, solid oak table from the master bedroom and took the decorative chair covered in cowhide from its spot next to the fireplace in the front room. Surprisingly, her grandparents had a satellite and Internet connection at the headquarters, so she was in business. She liked the coziness of the room as logs crackled in the corner wood burning stove, and evidence of her grandparents’ lives surrounding her on all four walls. This one room reminded her of her small home in Georgia, cozy. The sprawling ranch house she had inherited overwhelmed her at times.
Right now, she had a mission. After saying the name of her birth father out loud to Nathan, she was ready to dive deeper into finding him. Maybe God would guide her. Was this something she should pray about? Remembering what Lola had told her, to “pray without ceasing”, Carli whispered a prayer, hoping she was doing the right thing. She was unsure in her newfound journey of faith, but she was trying to give her worries to God as Lola kept reminding her. Her ranch foreman’s wife was not only a good cook, but she had turned into a valuable spiritual guide as well.
Carli couldn’t deny the aching need to know more. Since she found the birth certificate and learned his name, the mystery surrounding the circumstance of her birth parents was on her mind constantly. She opened her laptop and clicked on the heritage website to begin the search. With a yellow pad and pen beside the computer, she felt organized and confident which gave her courage to learn more about her past.
The same questions kept swirling through her head. Who was Taylor Miller? Where had he gone? Alive or dead? There must’ve been tens of thousands of people in the United States with the surname Miller and first name Taylor, male and female. Carli would have to narrow it down. She knew the names of her birth mother’s side but wasn’t sure she could find the right Miller family.
“Okay. Male. Texas. Over forty years old,” she said aloud, and with a deliberate gesture, hit Enter. There was no middle name on the birth certificate, maybe Michelle didn’t know it.
The website’s directions advised to formulate a family tree starting with herself. She felt strange looking at it, having been used to being on her own for so long. Now she had a family. Even if most of them were dead. She filled in what she knew.
Carlotta Jean Jameson
Mother: Michelle Jameson
Father: Taylor Miller
Grandparents (on Taylor’s side): Unknown
Grandmother: Jean Jameson Kimball
Grandfather: Ward Kimball
Great-grandmother: Lottie Jameson
Great-grandfather: Norwood Jameson
The Miller grandparents were still an unknown blank. From her own family tree several hints popped up on her home page. She’d research those later. She didn’t know anything about Taylor Miller’s grandparents, but she wondered if his parents’ names were on a census record. Were any of them still alive? Maybe she would discover even more family she never knew anything about. She figured he must be a local boy because Michelle wouldn’t have had her driver's license yet.
Something at the back of her brain kept trying to surface but she couldn’t remember what. Names and the town of Dixon. Something about the town. She yelled out when she remembered, “Phone books!” Strange how they were obsolete now. One end of the room had bookshelves to the ceiling, and the lower part of the shelves were cabinets. She dropped to her knees on the floor at one end and there they were. The cabinet was stuffed with stacks of old phone books. Maybe, just maybe, the dates went back far enough. She tugged on the first stack and they spilled across the floor next to her.
Carli did some quick math and figured out when her mother would have been around fifteen years old and in high school. She found the right phone book in the next stack. Scanning through the M’s, she found it. There were two families of Millers living in Dixon during that time and she had their addresses. Of course, the kids in the family wouldn’t be listed in the phone book,
but she had two names and one of them would have been her grandpa.
Nathan’s question suddenly came to mind. What would she say to her birth father if she ever found him? Would she be angry? Emotional? Hug him? What would he think of her? Did he even know she existed? Her brain whirled like a spinning top with all the what-ifs. She found a listing in the old phone book for Gene Miller and Patricia. That had to be her birth father’s family. The address was 606 Maple Street in Dixon. Closer. She was getting closer.
A knock on the front door pulled her out of the many, mind-boggling scenarios.
“Carli. It’s Lola.”
“Come on in. I’m in the back room.” Carli quickly clicked out of the genealogy website.
Carrying her ever-present food offerings, Lola set a tray of muffins on one corner of Carli’s desk. Hands on hips, she whirled around. “I love what you’ve done with this room. Perfect spot for your computer.”
Carli spun her chair towards Lola and studied the dish. “Oat bran, cranberry and carrot, if I’m not mistaken.”
Lola laughed. The Wild Cow Ranch's cook was all of one hundred pounds if that. She didn’t eat any of the mouth-watering treats she baked, and she was baking all the time, so she pushed them off on Carli. Buck and Lank ate with gusto and both of them remained reed thin.
“Gee, Lola, between you and Nathan, I’m gonna end up eating a big muffin before the day’s out. Hopefully, you’ve extracted all of the calories.” Carli folded her arms across her chest in an effort to resist.
“And I brought herbal tea, because you never have any.” Lola removed the plastic wrap from the plate of muffins.
“That does sound good. Thanks.” Carli gave in with a heavy sigh and reached for the treat. She closed her eyes and took a big bite. At least it had vegetables in it.
Lola called from the kitchen. “You already had a muffin today?” She walked into the study with a big grin on her face. “With Nathan? He’s easy on the eyes. Isn’t he?” Her eyebrows raised when she said his name.
Carli was in the middle of a bite and looked over her muffin at Lola. Great. Now she’d have to explain about her and Nathan. Welcome to rural Texas where the new girl from Georgia had become the topic of everybody’s conversation.
Chapter Five
Lola Wallace sank into the leather chair and plopped her trim ankles on the ottoman in Carli’s office. “Buck and I started out our romance with many a burger at the Dixie Maid.” She laughed.
“There’s no romance between me and Nathan Olsen.” Carli stared at Lola to make sure she was listening. “I went over to the Rafter O ranch this morning to eat lunch with Nathan. We started off at B&R Beanery and Buns and then went to the Dixie Maid to eat a burger. Nothing to it. We’re just good friends.”
“I can’t believe Nathan’s dad let him have the time off. He rarely leaves the ranch.”
“Nathan does seem to be the main man who holds that place together. He’s such a hard worker and always busy with something.”
“Speaking of ranch work and since you have your home office set up, is it okay that you take over paying the bills? I’m not a bookkeeper and I am not the most organized person around.”
“I can do that. No problem.” In her mind Carli began to think about buying a file cabinet. It’s exactly the kind of work she did for the real estate agent in Georgia, but this time it would actually be for her own property.
“Since it’s your ranch, I thought it might give you a better picture of what’s going on around here as far as expenses and cash flow. Your grandpa has a great CPA that takes my spreadsheets and calculates the tax and all. I can keep doing it if you want, but since you have your office set up and all...”
"No, you make a good point. I’d learn more about the day-to-day operations.”
“You’re not working on anything special now, are you?”
“Not really. Why do you ask?” Her father’s birth name was on the tip of her tongue and she almost told Lola. Did Lola and Buck know her birth certificate even existed?
“You looked really intent, like you were concentrating on something when I walked in. I’m sorry if I disturbed you.”
Carli’s heart pounded. She paused before answering, thinking about what she knew and what she wanted to share. She hadn’t hesitated to tell Nathan because he had become such a good friend. But to spill the pain of her past with the people who worked for her wasn’t something she felt comfortable doing. “It was nothing.” She smiled and took another bite of muffin so she wouldn’t have to talk any longer.
“Tell me more about this friendly date to the Dixie Maid.” Lola tried to suppress her grin this time, but her eyes sparkled as she watched Carli.
“The weirdest thing happened at the coffee shop. I gave my muffin away to a young girl there. You might know the family. Kids’ names were Brandon and Lexi.” Carli remembered the youngsters so vividly but had failed to even pay attention to the woman with them. “Their mother’s name escapes me.”
“Can you remember their last name?”
“No, but the girl was definitely unique.”
“How’s that?”
“Actually, she threw a little fit.”
“Sounds like a lot of excitement for the B&R.” The kettle screamed. “Be right back. You’re gonna love this ginger and honeybush herbal mix.”
Carli saved the grimace that covered her face until after Lola left the room. The herb tea combinations Lola found to buy were unique to say the least, and she always wanted Carli to taste them.
When Lola appeared carrying two steaming mugs, Carli continued. “Like I said, this woman walked in with her two kids. The girl is about sixteen, I guess, maybe fifteen. All dressed in black, nail polish too, skull shirt. Angry attitude. You know the typical emo type.”
“What’s emo?”
“It’s a subculture. Dark, deep emotions, certain rock bands. Teens are overly sensitive, lots of angst, the common theme being black clothes, jewelry, hair. Like emo core, means emotional and hardcore. The girl flung her muffin on the floor, so I gave her mine. I felt bad for her but also for the mom trying to handle everything on her own. I don’t know if there’s a dad in the picture or not.”
“You have a kind heart, Carli. What’d Nathan think of it all?”
“I think he wanted me to stay out of it. I told him that’s what everybody does. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but think about the youth suicide rate which is through the roof. I wanted to help her. I used to be that girl. Not so much the outward appearance, but I do remember the hate and anger inside. And by the way, I invited the kids and their mom to the ranch.”
“Great. I look forward to meeting them.”
Carli blew gently and then took a sip from her mug. “That’s not bad.” She looked up at Lola and then stared in her cup.
“I was wondering when you’d admit it was good.” They both laughed.
“Did I ever tell you I owned a riding school and horse training business in Georgia? I’d like to do something like that again, well, the school part. Do you think it would work here?”
“No, you didn’t and yes, I think it would work. That’s a splendid idea.” Lola’s eyes sparkled as she sat up straight in the chair. “No one in this area offers riding lessons.”
“The mother of the young girl at the coffee shop mentioned she had to give their horses away. I hope those kids can come to ride at the ranch sometime.” Carli’s excitement grew from the look on Lola’s face. “I know Beau is good with kids. I really miss working with young people.”
“Also, our chestnut mare, Sally, has raised so many ranch kids in this area. The Wild Cow took her in for retirement, but she would be good in your program.” Lola sprang to her feet and began pacing with a concentrated look on her face. “We need extra saddles, all sizes, and headstalls. I’m sure we can come up with enough riding tack.”
Carli finished off her muffin, and as usual Lola resisted eating. “We’ll have to find some other horses.”
Lola shoo
k her head in agreement. “Yes, because the ranch horses the guys use are bred too hot. They live for cow work and cutting. I’m not sure they would be suitable for lessons.”
“The young girl in black keeps haunting me. I want to help her if I can.” Carli really missed her clients in Georgia. She often wondered how their competition careers were progressing. “To see that first-time connection between a horse and rider. Their eyes light up and it makes me so happy. I miss that.”
Lola stopped pacing. “I think you have a super idea. And I’m sure Buck will agree. We’d love to help in any way we can.”
Another knock at the door cut their conversation short.
“Carli? Lola? Anybody home?”
“C’mon in,” Carli called to him. “We’re in the study. Want some herb tea and a muffin?”
Buck, her ranch foreman, appeared at the door. “Herb tea?” His face was pinched as if in pain. Carli chuckled. She understood his pain.
“Is it full of that healthy stuff you keep trying to feed me?” Buck frowned at his wife.
“It’s only because I love you, dear.” Lola held the plate out towards her husband. He waved it away. His wife went to his side, patted his belly a little, and said, “Uh huh, and we’ve got to watch it, don’t we, honey? Remember what the doc said at your last checkup? Eat healthy, watch your sodium intake, and lower your blood pressure.”
“Yes, dear. But no herb tea! Not part of my diet and that stuff would cause all kinds of problems for me.” He rolled his eyes good-naturedly towards Carli. “You know, Jean..." They all froze and stared at each other. "Oh, sorry, you remind me so much of your grandma Jean. Maybe I should call you 'Little Jean' or something."
"It's okay, Buck. I'm flattered that you think of her when you look at me."
"Anyway, Car-li," he enunciated, "there are two magic words any husband needs to learn in order to keep his woman happy. ‘Yes, dear’ is the right answer for anything. Remember to tell your future husband that, Little Jean.”
Follow a Wild Heart: A Christian Contemporary Western Romance Series Page 3